HAND POSITION MISTAKES that HOLD YOU BACK!

[@jacquelinelawrences9219]

This was the perfect video for me right now. Really helpful! Thank you.

[@PianoRoadmap]

So glad to hear!

[@yuuhuakili]

Thanks for this video, Susan! My piano teacher and the other youtube video just told me to imagine I'm "holding a tennis ball" but I keep feeling painful, wrong and my hand position doesn't seem right compared to the good pianist. This video points out what I need to fix, especially the pinkie. Very helpful!

[@ordinary0983]

These are very helpful. Thank you!

[@più_lento_28_13]

thank you Susan, super helpful. Also, about the naturally curved hand, what i like to do is put my hand on my knee as i’m sitting, and keep that exact same shape to the keys

[@PianoRoadmap]

Brilliant! That seems like a super easy and fast way to check your position. Thanks for sharing!

[@bendang4456]

Great lesson. That's my weak points now. I will try to pratice those technic. Thanks Susan

[@acreguy3156]

Great video!! My biggest flaw is stiff wrists. That transfers to my shoulders, which really makes it difficult to play. Add bit of stage fright and you have a recipe for disaster! Thanks for the great info!!

[@PianoRoadmap]

You're welcome! If you're experiencing stiffness and tension, the best thing you can do is incorporate very easy pieces or exercises into your practice so you can mostly focus on proper playing technique. Good luck!

[@acreguy3156]

@@PianoRoadmap Thanks, Susan 🎹!

[@angelaalves9530]

Oh cool - part way through I was going to ask what the piece was. I have the left hand collapsing main joint (bridge) and have for some time - it got better but I think it went by the wayside and its cropping up again. I'll try the baby steps for several weeks - with the Minuet ... then maybe I'll have finally fixed that issue and learned a new piece, hahaha! 😉

[@colinm9423]

This was so helpful. Thank you, Susan. I get this horrible, nervy pain in the left hand, which travels all the way up my left arm, when using fingers 4 and 5. I struggle with keeping finger 5 straight (it usually bends and feels unstable at the knuckle), so I'll take your advice to correct the problem to see if it helps. With finger 4 (LH), the knuckle seems to be strong enough (at least, I think so), so I'm not sure if that horrible pain is caused by the position on the finger tip where it makes contact with the key, or not (if that makes sense). I try to use the 'cushion'; as opposed to the very end tip near the nail. But, after a while, the pain starts. It used to be a lot worse - pain after even 5 minutes of playing. But, now I'm playing in a more relaxed manner, the pain doesn't resurface until about 20-30 minutes. The right hand has always been fine. I'll take baby steps, as you say, to try to correct it. But, I just wish I could eliminate the pain altogether. I love your videos! Thanks so much for everything you teach on this fantastic channel.

[@PianoRoadmap]

Do you have a private piano teacher? If you continue to deal with pain, I highly recommend trying to find a teacher, even just for one consultation. I wish you could eliminate the pain too! Hopefully, some of these general tips will help you in the long run.

[@brendamengeling4653]

Thank you! My left pinkie likes to flatten out at the knuckle closest to the nail. It’s both weak and really short, but it’s also plunky, so I’m trying to pay attention to it.

[@scattered-idea]

Thank you so much!

[@PianoRoadmap]

You're welcome!

[@alantaylor3659]

Good points. My joints used to collapse when my RH nails were too long (for guitar).

[@PianoRoadmap]

Yes, that's typically when I see it too!

[@foowishamewican]

I struggle with chord hand positioning especially 4 note chords

[@BennyBlancoDj]

Same

[@PianoRoadmap]

Like deciding which fingers to use in 4-note chords?